Why does my Wi-Fi disconnect right when I open Steam or a game?

Probably the adapter waking from power save — the steps above fix that. If it persists, check QoS settings on the router.

≈ Network Errors

Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on Windows 11 — How to fix

Random Wi-Fi disconnects on Windows 11 are almost always one of three things: power management turning the radio off, an outdated wireless driver, or a router channel that's saturated.

Time: 15 min
Difficulty: easy
Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10
Updated: May 25, 2026

Symptoms

▸Wi-Fi drops for 1-30 seconds, then reconnects on its own
▸Disconnects more often after the PC has been idle
▸Other devices on the same router stay connected

Likely causes

▸Windows power management turning the adapter off
▸Outdated Intel/Realtek/Killer wireless driver
▸Router on a crowded 2.4 GHz channel
▸VPN client interfering with the adapter

How to fix it — step by step

01
Disable power saving on the Wi-Fi adapter
Device Manager → Network adapters → [your Wi-Fi adapter] → Properties → Power Management → untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
02
Install the latest vendor driver
For Intel: Intel Driver & Support Assistant. For Realtek: the laptop OEM site. Do not rely on Windows Update for wireless drivers.
03
Set the adapter to 5 GHz only
Device Manager → adapter → Properties → Advanced → Preferred Band → 5 GHz. Avoids the crowded 2.4 GHz band entirely on dual-band routers.
04
Disable WiFi Sense and auto-switch
Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → uncheck Connect automatically for any known-bad SSIDs.